Page 207 of The Governess of My Heart
“I apologize,” he said, holding her hand, “I do not want us to miss our honeymoon. We can discuss this later.”
Elizabeth agreed.
After supper, he walked her into her room, and as he did, he could sense her discomfort. Finally, he understood what her fear was.
How did I not understand earlier? She fears the night; I can see it in her eyes.
Elizabeth stared at the bedpost, unable to contain her discomposure as Darcy never let go of her hand.
Much to her shock, he pulled her to face him.
“You are afraid about the wedding night, aren’t you?” he said, looking deep into her eyes.
“No, I am not,” she blurted.
“You are a very poor liar, Elizabeth. I knew this since the day you rejected my proposal; your eyes always speak the truth.”
Elizabeth did not know what to say as she feared offending him.
He is my husband, and I love him; how can I declare that I am afraid to be intimate with him?
“Look at me. I do not know what you heard from your aunt or anyone else who spoke to you about this, but you need to trust me; I will not do anything you don’t want to do.”
“I trust you, Fitzwilliam. Please do not misunderstand me, and I am sorry to have upset you,” she said, looking at the seriousness of his face.
“Good Heavens! I am not upset; I am concerned about you. I cannot stand it if you feel uncomfortable in my presence.”
“You do not make me uncomfortable in any way; the truth is I am nervous, as any woman should be,” she said.
“Do not be. Can you trust me?” he asked her, and she nodded in agreement.
Darcy left, promising to return when she was ready. Elizabeth paced her room before calling for her maid to help her for the night and finally changed into a nightgown her aunt had bought her.
Her maid brushed her hair and left. She looked at herself in the mirror and wondered how Darcy would feel when he saw her. Suddenly, Elizabeth heard a knock, and she instinctively grabbed a shawl and wrapped it around herself.
“Come in,” she said and bit her lips.
As Darcy entered, he could immediately sense what she had done. He could not help but smile at the sight of his beautiful wife.
Though she wore a beautiful nightgown in a shade of peach, she had hurriedly wrapped herself in a shawl, covering her shoulders.
In the process, her beautiful hair, which she had let down, appeared messy; some curls fell across her face while the rest were tucked inside her shawl.
According to Darcy, she was a picture of beauty and innocence, and he knew he would never forget the sight of her that night, and he smiled.
He had brought a small package with him, which he placed on the table, and walked closer to her.
Elizabeth stared at him, her breath getting shallower by the moment.
“Please allow me to help you,” he said and gently took the shawl she held from her hand. He adjusted it slightly, and his fingers carefully moved the curls away from her face and let the rest of her hair fall to her hips. Once done, he wrapped the shawl around her once again, admiring her beautiful tresses.
Elizabeth suddenly felt dizzy.
“Thank… Thank you!” she finally said.
He guided her to sit and gave her the package he had brought.
“What is this?” she asked.
